I am looking to find out the name and author of a book that was very dear to me on theatre,drama and acting which was in my possession and was destroyed by the flood waters of Perfect Storm Sandy along with four thousand other books. I don’t recall the name of the author nor the title but what I do know is that it was published in the 1950’s and possibly the author was an American professor from a Mid-Western university. It was a HARDCOVER with a dust jacket large but not coffee table size. What may make one of your colleagues or yourself know of it is that the back of the dust jacket had photographs of four great actors interpreting Hamlet. The purpose of this was to show how four different thespians could interpret the same character successfully but have different body directions and postures. The collage of photos were of Messers John Barrymore,Maurice Evans,John Gielgud and Leslie Howard.

I just need to know the title of the book and it’s author. If you can be of help I’ll be most grateful. If no one knows of this perhaps you could direct me elsewhere. I have already tried the Drama Book Store here in New York at Manhattan and Miss Jane Gardener of "Stage Plays" who has referred me to "The Playwright's Forum."

Simply called, "History of the Theatre." I still have it, with blue pen underlines and yellow high-lights and notes in the margins and all.
Red Cover. Seemed like a "big book" at the time. Now it just looks average size! Maybe because I do not HAVE to read it again. Though I use it for reference. But by then, we did not have "covers."

However, your book is earlier, but he may have been the writer of it, as I am sure he was publishing before my book.

Let me/us know. I'd be curious.

A couple of places to look online are:

abebooks.com or alibris.com

Which are very good markets for used/old books. I've used them a ton. Always had great results.

Just put in the author name or the title and selections will come up from many independent dealer sources. They will have the quality of the book's condition, etc. Price will vary accordingly.

Keep playing around with the search engine on titles and names, as you might be close to remembering, but not perfect. You might just find it!

Good luck with the hunt.

Let us know if you find it!

You might write someone at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois at their theatre Department or their University Library as they were quite prominent in theatre at the time. Still are, but in that era, there were not too many theatre programs that were. Or write someone at Indiana University, as they also had a theatre program at that time, which may have been before Brockett was there. Or even University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana.

You might also try the Library of the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. And there is always The Players on Union Square in NYC. I am not sure if they still have a librarian for their library, but you can contact them. the website is: theplayersnyc.org.

Keep searching. There is always someone who knows.

Sorry about hurricane Sandy. Went to a one-man show by Tommy
Tune about 6 months ago.

He lost EVERYTHING - YES - EVERYTHING - of his memorabilia in his studio on the West Side of Manhattan from Sandy. I mean, EVERYTHING. The audience had a collective "UGH!" when he sadly told the story.

Thank you for your most thoughtful and thorough electronic mail message in answer to my book search.

Possibly Professor Oscar Brockett but the name doesn't sound familiar.

Thank you for "The New York Times" obituary.

I definitely know that it wasn't a history of the theatre book. It was on technique,drama analysis and similar topics.

I will most certainly let you know when I find it.

I know of Advanced Book Exchange Books and Alibris very well as of about twenty-eight other book sites. But one needs a title and author or one or the other. When searching for a book always first go to the book search,Bookfinder, by which if found,refers you to book sites such as the two you mention and many others in both a NEW column and a USED one. One interesting fact is that sometimes you may not find a book on Bookfinder using a search engine such as Internet Explorer but the same book may appear on Bookfinder by way of Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome or be found by way of all three but at different prices. Likewise for book sites but first always utilize the book search,Bookfinder.

Yes! Northwestern University has come to my mind and I'll contact the other two universities,Indiana and Illinois.

Oh dear God! Poor Mister Tommy Tune! I also lost all of my theatre credits from England,Italy and New York. All photographs of me and my fellow thespians in England,; it just goes on and on. It all lives in my heart and God knows what I did but it does hurt. I never created a web site and all that is left of me on the internet are three little films I did after I returned here in 2004 which aren't my theatre work at all!!! But once I am able to walk again I'll return stronger than ever whether I make money or not because it is my life. My tears are for my beloved wife who lost all her family records and personal papers we shipped over from England. But we are alive!!!

I hope this REPLY gets to you. I do not understand this web site. Last night I could answer your electronic mail message to me. I've just opened your second one "More On Your Book Search" and it does not give me a POST REPLY PAGE like this one. Only PREVIEW and PM,whatever they signify.

Anyway a thousand thanks for following up with more possibilities. I'll most certainly take these roads if a current response I await from a New Hampshire book seller is negative.

I decided Thursday night the morning of October 16th,2015 to search once again for the book because on the Amazon Books book site I came across a book and the author's name, above all,which induced me to proceed to the book search,Bookfinder,where upon I found a California book store,Jeff Stark Books of Mister Jeff Stark. I asked him if it had the photos on the back of the DUST JACKET of the actors and he replied there were three,Messers Maurice Evans,John Gielgud and Leslie Howard. I could've sworn there was also Mister John Barrymore. Anyway after inquiring from a New Hampshire book store,Ronald Purmort Books of Mister Ronald Purmort his REPLY was there were three books pictured on the back of the DUST JACKET. So I purchased the copy from California at under ten American Dollars.

Now for the revelation to the mystery : The book's title is "The Technique Of Acting" by Professor Francis Cowles Strickland,published by Standford University Press,and it was the name of the author which made me proceed to enquire once again. The university publisher was certainly not in the Mid-West as I thought,but in California. Thank you for your concern and support and likewise to whomever else. Very sad Professor Strickland's name does not resonate anymore but alas our theatre culture is a dying life which wishes to remain alive amongst the corruption of the times.

My name is mark Carlile and I'm desperate to speak to Irena as she is a dear friend of my mother Joan Carlile in England and is currently seriously ill. I hope you are both well and can help me with my predicament, this is the only way I've found to hopefully contact you, I hope you get this, my email is markcarlile@hotmail.co.uk
Kind regards
Mark
God bless